Panama opened its first embassy in China on Thursday five months after cutting ties with Taiwan, which has seen its allies dwindle against the mainland's growing influence. In a speech heralding the embassy's "historic" establishment, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said his "commitment to the One China principle" was made with the benefits for Panamanian people in mind - alluding to Beijing's position that Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory and will be brought back into the fold at some point.
Mainland China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949 and while Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign nation, it has never formally declared independence. There now remain only 20 nations worldwide with official ties to Taiwan, as others have chosen to form diplomatic relations with China instead.
"This is the correct decision," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said at the embassy's opening ceremony, noting that the Panamanian president had expressed a wish to become "the best of friends" with China during a visit to the country one decade ago.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.